Why solar? Why now?

With over 350 solar PV systems installed on homes in Needham, many residents who hadn’t previously thought about solar are noticing. They see the benefits their neighbors are enjoying and thinking that they too could benefit. But they’ve also heard that the solar incentives in Massachusetts are changing, and wonder whether this is the right time to move forward.

The answer to that question is an emphatic “yes.” As the cost of solar continues to decrease and more homes and businesses install solar, it’s natural that the incentives will evolve. But Massachusetts continues to be committed to a robust solar market that saves money for homeowners and businesses, creates a large number of well-paying jobs and helps the Commonwealth achieve its climate change goals.

Putting a new incentive program in place that reduces the cost of incentives and keeps the market growing is a balancing act. Much work still remains to be done. But it is in no one’s interest for the solar market to come to a halt while that work is underway. So the Commonwealth has committed to maintaining the current incentive system to provide certainty for solar customers and installers.

In practice, that means that the current incentives for residential solar in Massachusetts will remain in place through early in 2018. Residential customers who install systems between Janaury 2017 and March 2018 will still be able to benefit from net metering and they will continue to generate Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs) that they are paid for, though at a slightly reduced rate. The 30% federal tax credit was extended by Congress last year and remains available through 2019.

Green Needham’s solar team is committed to helping Needham residents take advantage of this favorable opportunity in 2017. Watch these pages for more information.